Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Matches Made In Hell - literally

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad here Tuesday called for enhancement of ties between Iran and Latin American states based on mutual respect and justice.The president, in a message to the first international conference on Latin America which opened Tuesday, said Iran and Latin American states share identical views on independence, peace and justice.His message was read to conference participants by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.Praising the strong desire for independence and justice of people in countries of Latin Americ, he said the Iranian nation shares with them their aspirations.Latin American developments, particularly the growing awareness and involvement of peoples of the region in various political and social events (uh, that would be their dewey-fresh hatred for America and nothing else - jillosophy)have paved the ground for bilateral and multilateral cooperation in various areas, the president stated in his message.He urged the Islamic Republic of Iran and Latin American states to do more to develop their societies through consultation and maximum use of resources.

Mottaki: Iran ready to help solve problems in Africa Tehran, Feb 27, IRNAForeign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Tuesday that Iran is ready to contribute into settlement of disputes in the African continent.Mottaki told his Uganda counterpart Sam Kutesa that Iran has put forward initiatives to solve problems in Africa.The Iranian foreign minister's remarks come ahead of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Sudan on Wednesday at the head of a delegation to talk with senior Sudanese officials on issues of mutual concern.The minister said Iran is ready for cooperation with Uganda in industrial, oil, gas, tractor manufacturing and development fields.Elsewhere in his remarks, Mottaki said Iran wants immediate withdrawal of occupying forces from Iraq and restoration of stability and security there, sparing no efforts in that connection.As for Palestine, Mottaki said, "We have always been stressing unity among Palestinian groups and want a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction." Kutesa for his part thanked Iran for its interest in expansion of cooperation with Africa and hoped economic and commercial cooperation between Iran and Uganda would further expand.He said the two countries' cooperation in farming, tractor manufacturing and assembly, energy, industries and technology transfer are growing.He stressed Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy and said Uganda government and people strongly condemn any unilateralism.

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Ahmadinejad in phone conversation with Iraqi presidentTehran, Feb 26, IRNAPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday extended his best wishes to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.He held a telephone conversation with Talabani wishing an immediate recovery from illness for the Iraqi president.Ahmadinejad hailed the significant role President Talabani played in the campaign against the Iraqi dictatorship and the victory of the Iraqi nation to develop democracy and freedom in their own country. **

(I hope he remembered to thank America for some of that)

**"I pray to God to bestow health upon you," Ahmadinejad said.President Talabani thanked his Iranian counterpart for his kind remarks and called for developing cooperation between the two nations given their current brotherly relations.